Inside flash remover



June 16,1942. Q W, WER f y 2,286,513

INS IDE FLASH REMOVER June 16, 1942. G. w. sowER K INSIDE FLASH REMOVER5 SheetsSheet 3 Filed Dec. 5, 1940 NEL `GEO/EGE w son/Efe Agro/g/VEYSPatented June 126, 1942 INSIDE FLASH REMovER George W. Sower,.University Heights, Chio, as-

signor to Republic Steel Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation ofNew Jersey Application December 5, 1940, Serial No. 368,657

5 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for remov-I ing a flash or burr fromwelded pipe or tubing I and more particularly to an improved insideflash remover or continuously severing the inside burr from pipe ortubing which is Vformed from flat scelp and continuously welded in longlengths.

In the Welding of pipe or tubing by the continnous electrical processand in certain other procedures, a burr is thrown up at the weld bothinside and outside of the tube. The removal of the inside burr isnecessary for certain uses of the product and numerous devices have beenprolposed for continuously severing this burr as the tube emerges fromthe welding apparatus. It is among the objects of my present inventionto` provide an improved inside flash remover which can be accuratelyadjusted to take just the de-I sired cut from the inside of the tube andwhich will maintain a uniform cutting action regardless of' minorvariations in the inside diameter of the .tube or in the burr itself.Other objects of the present invention include:

The provision of an inside flash remover which will maintain itsadjustment during long yperiods of operation; the provision of a flashcutter in which resilient means are. effectively-employed to maintainthe tool in proper cutting relation to the burr and to the inside of thetube; and the provision of an inside flash cutter of simple and ruggedform which may be economically manufactured and maintained.

The above and other objects of my invention will appear from thefollowing description of several embodiments thereof, reference ybeinghad to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a detached plan View of my improved flash remover inoperating position in a tube; the tube being shown ,in cross section.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2 2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional View taken on line 3-3 ofFigure 2.

1 but illustrating a third embodiment of my in.

vention.

Figure 10 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on line III-I0of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a transverse cross sectional viewtaken on line II-II ofFigure 10, and,

Figure 12 is a transverse cross sectional view taken on line I2--I 2 ofFigure 10.

Referring to Figure 1 the main frame or body I of my improved flashcutter is attached to the end f a bar or rod 2 by means of a pin 3. Thisrod 2 extends through the tube T to a point ahead of the weld, and isthere anchored in any suitable and well-known manner. Thus the frame Iof the flash cutter is held in position in the tube which moves,relative ,to the flash cutter, in the direction of the arrow (Figure 1)during -operation.

A vertical slot roll 5 which is freely rotatable on the transverse shaft6 which in turn is rigidly sup-ported in the body I. A second top roll'l is similarly mounted on a shaft 8 in a-vertical slot 9. Itwill benoted that the top rolls 5 and 1 are grooved so that Figure 4 is atransverse cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

they will straddle the vburr B and engage the surface of the top portionof the tube on each side of the burr and that their tube engagingsurfaces are disposed above the top of the body I so that they hold thebody of the flash cutter out of contact with the tube Wall.

A bottom roll 9 is mounted on a shaft I0 which in turn is carried by afloating yoke member II having spaced arms II and II" having a slidingfit within the slot 9 in the body. The shaft 8 passes through the armsII' and II and forms a pivotal support for the yoke I I which is notchedat i2 to accommodate the end of the bar spring member I3. The oppositeend of the spring I3 is secured in a spring holder I4 which, in order ito facilitate assembly of the unit, is preferably a separate piece whichis inserted into a slot, in

the frame I, and then Welded in place as indi- `will force the shoulder23 on tool I6 against the shoulder 24 on the frame and thus the toolwill be locked firmly in position. A slot4 24 in the 4 in the body Ihouses the top frame provides an exit for the severed burr which is seenat 25 n Figure 2, and it will be noted that the cutting edge I9 of thetool is disposed closely adjacent the point of contact of the top roll 1with the tube surface.

A guiding roll 26 is mounted on a vertical shaft 21 behind the toolholding portion of the device and, serves to prevent undesirable sidesway and to maintain the frame andl tool properly centered in the tube;

In the operation of the above described device the heavy stiff spring-I3 is so formed and located that, when the unit is not in cuttingposition in a tube, the top rolls 5 and 1 and the bottom rollv 9 will bespaced apart a greater distance than the inside diameter of the tube inwhich the device is to be used. When the apparatus is inserted into atube the spring I3 is iiexed upwardly, and the yoke II swings around thesupporting shaft 8 in clockwise direction. Thus the bot- -tom roll iscaused to exert a continuous and substantial force downwardly againstthe bottom of the tube. 'Ihis force has a. corresponding upward reactionsupporting the frame I with the top rolls 5 and 1 firmly engaging thetop of the tube adjacent the burr. As the cutting edge I9 of the tool isclose to the point of contact of the roll 1 with the tube its depth ofcut will be limited and maintained uniform by this roll.

By employing a relatively stiff heavy bar spring the desired resiliencyis obtained while, at the same time, the cutting edge I9 is always heldat exactly the right location to produce a uniform cut regardless ofminor variations in the form of the tube.

In Figures 6, 7' and 8 a modied form of my flash cutter in which thebody or frame 28 is held in positionin the tube by a bar 29. The toprolls 30 and 3| are spaced longitudinally on the frame 28 and aremounted on shafts 32 and 33 which in turn are rigidly supported inthebody 28. Suitable slots 34 and 35 are formed inthe body to accommodatethe rolls 30 and 3| respectively. A

-elongated flat spring bars 42 and 43, are provided to exert a force onthe shafts 38- and 39 tending to move the shafts andbottom rollsdownwardly away from the frame 28. Each of the spring bars 4,2 and 43 islatched under an angle l lug member 44. at one end and under a remov'able pin 45 at the other end, the ends of the spring bars being suitablyout away, as seen at 46 in Figure 7, to engage properly the lug and pin.Additional retaining flanges 41 are provided on the sidesof the body 28to retain the spring bars 42 and 43 in position, and the ends of theshafts 38 and 39 are notched as seen at 48 (Figure 8) to accommodate thespring bars.

These bars areso formed and so supported that, when the flash cutter isremoved from a tube, the spring bars tend to move the rolls 36 and 31away from the frame 28. When the device is in operating position in atube the spring bars are exed upwardly, thus causing a force to beexerted between the body 28 and the bottom rolls 36 and 31 which firmlyholds the top rolls 30 and 3| in engagement with the top of the tube.The top rolls 30 and 3| are grooved straddle the seam in the mannerdescribed previously in referring to Figure 1.

Just beyond the top roll 3| in the direction of tube movement atransverse baille wall 48 ex. tends across the slot in the body 28 and,together with the tool holding portion 56, defines av guide chute forthe severed ash 5|. The cutting edge `52 of the tool 5 3 is' disposedclosely adjacent to the point of contact of the roll 3| with the topinner surface of the tube andthus an accurate gauge is provided fordetermining the out taken by thev tool. An adjusting screw 64, providedwith a lock nut 55, is adapted t0 locate thetool 53 on the .inclinedsurface 66 of the tool support and a clamp screw 51 retains the tool inany desired adjusted` position. As seen inFigure 6, the screw 51 passesthrough an elongated slot 58 in the tool 53, and thus the desired'degreeof adjustment of the tool is permitted. The lat`- eral guide roll `59 ismounted on a suitable vertistruction which effectively achieves thedesired.

results within the limited space available.V

In Figures 9, `10, 11 and 12 a third modification of my invention isillustrated in which a grooved top roll 60 and an ungrooved top roll 6|engage the upper inner surface of the tube respectively ahead of andbehind the tool 62. These rolls are mounted on shafts 63 and 64 whichare non.

yieldingly carried in the frame 65. A recess 66 extends upwardly fromthe bottom of the frame 65 and houses the bottom roll 61 which isrotatively mounted in a pivoted roll supporting bracket 68. Thetransverse shaft 69 carries the bracket 68 and the forward end of thebracket 66 is apertured atv10 to fit loosely over a stud Il having anenlarged head 12 and which is threaded into the body 65. A compressionspring 13 is disposed around the stud 1| and exerts a force tending tolift the forward end of the bracket and to move the roll 61 downwardly.A screw stop 14, provided with a lock nut 15, regulates the degree ofdownward movement which may be imparted to the roll 61 by the action ofthe spring 13, and it will beobserved that, when the apparatus is in usein a tube of proper diameter, the roll 61 will be urged downwardlyagainst the bottom of the tube bythe spring 13, and the frame 65 and toprolls -60 and v6| will be held up with the top rolls firmly engaging theupper inner surface of the tube. The tool 62 is closely adjacent the toproll 6I and therefore the cut taken by the tool 62 is regulated by therelative positions of the cutting edge of the tool and the point ofengagement of the roll 6| with the tube wall in themanner previouslydescribed.

Adjustment for the tool 62 is provided by a ro-l tatable member 16having an eccentric portion 11 against which the bottom of the tool 62rests. A set screw 18 is adapted to clamp the tool in any adjustedposition and, by loosening this screw 18 d and turning the adjustingmember 16 by means of its square head portion 1 6', the tool can beraised or lowered and then reclamped in position.

The severed flash 19 passes down through the slot 8|) in a mannergenerally the same as in the other forms of my flash cutter device and alateral guide roll 8| ismounted on a vertical shaft 82 behind the toproll 6|. I

In all of the illustrated embodiments of my invention a rigidly xedcutting tool having a single cutting edge is disposed closely adjacentto a roll rotatable on an axis which is fixed relative to the tool andwhich engages the inner top surface of the tube. The entire body of eachdevice, together wih the tool and the fixed axis top rolls, is spring4supported and resiliently held .up toward the top of the tube by a rollor rolls which engage the'bottom of the tube. With my arrangements offloating bottom rolls and spring mounts very compact andruggedstru-ctures are obtained which may be employed in relatively smalldiameter tubes and which have proved in actual use to be entirelysatisfactory and to produce a uniformity of inside flash removal whichhas not been obtainable with devices previously employed.

Although I have described the illustrated embodiments of my invention inconsiderable detail, it will be understood by those skilled in the artthat variations and modifications may be made in the specific form andarrangement of parts herein shown and described without departing fromthe spirit of my invention. I donot, therefore, wish to be limited tothe particular devices illustrated herein but desire to claim allforms;A of my invention coming within the scope of the y appendedclaims.

' I claim:

1. In an inside flash remover of the type described, a frame, a pair'oflongitudinally spaced top rolls supported on axes rigidly carried bysaid frame, a cutting tool rigidly positioned in said frame and having acutting edge disposed adjacent one of said top rolls, means foradjusting the position of the cutting edge of said tool relative to thepoint of contact of said one of said top rolls with the surface of thetube, a bottom roll between said top rolls, iioating support means forsaid botlom roll whereby limited movement of said bottom roll relative1to said frame may be had, and spring means tending to for said bottomroll whereby limited movement of said bottom roll relative to said framemay be had, a fiat bar spring having one end engaging said frame andengaging said bottom roll support means at a point removed from said oneend, said spring being adapted to urge said top rolls against the innerwall of a tubular article adjacent the flash and said bottom roll in theopposite direction against `the opposite portion 'of the tube wall whenthe frame is positioned in the tubular article.

3. An inside fiash remover for severing flash from a tubular articleincluding, a frame, a pair of longitudinally spaced top rolls supportedby said frame wih theirvaxes fixed against other than rotative movementrelative to said frame, a cutting tool rigidly mounted on said frame andhaving a fixed flash cutting edge disposed adja cent one of said toprolls, a pair of bottom rolls disposed in a slot in said frame betweensaid top rolls, shafts for said bottom rolls, the ends of each of saidshafts extending beyond said frame on each side thereof and said shaftsbeing supported in elongated slots in said frame whereby limitedvertical movement of said shafts relative to said frame may be had, avpair of elongated at spring bars disposed one on each side of saidframe, and spring. bar retaining means carried lby said frame andengaging said spring bars adjacent their ends, said bars engaging theextended ends of said shafts whereby said bottom rolls are urged awayfrom said top rolls when said body is in operating position in a tubulararticle from which `the flash is to be removed.

4. In apparatus of the type described, a frame, longitudinally spacedtop rolls carried by said frame, a fixed cutting tool carried by saidframe and having a flash cutting edge adjacent ne of said top rolls, abottom roll between said top move said bottom roll 'in one directiontransversely of the tube and to move said frame and top rolls in theopposite direction.

2. In an inside ash remover for tubular articles, a frame, a pair oflongitudinally spaced top rolls rotatably supported by said frame withtheir axes fixed against other than rotative movement relative to saidframe, a cutting tool rigidly mounted on said frame and having a flashcutting edge disposed adjacent one of said top rolls,

means for adjusting the position of said cutting edge ,relative to saidone of said top rolls, a bottom roll between said top rolls, supportmeans and spring meansbetween said bracket and said rolls, a shaft forsaid bottom roll, said frame-y having verl'ically extending slots inwhich the ends of said shaft are disposed, and a longitudinallyextending spring bar member engaging said shaft at a point between itsends and being supg ported at its ends by said frame.

5. In an inside ash remover for tubular articles, a frame, a pair oflongitudinally spaced rolls carried .by said frame, a,xed cutting toolcarried by said frame adjacent one of said top rolls, 'a roll supportingbracket pivotally supported on said frame, a floating roll carried bysaid bracket onthe opposite side .of said frame from said-pair of rollsand between said top rolls,

frame and tending to urge said floating roll away from said frame whensaid frame is in operating position in a tubular article.

GEORGE W. SOWER.

